IMRG has revealed statistics that prove UK consumers are carrying out safe shopping online from their mobile handsets in greater numbers than on any other device.

The rise of smartphones as a means of browsing the web was fairly rapid, and for the past three years they have dominated in terms of traffic. However, it is only within the past three months that people have felt comfortable spending their hard-earned money via their mobiles rather than on desktops, laptops or tablets.

40.4 per cent of e-commerce spending in the final three months of last year was conducted through smartphones, edging out the 39.7 per cent stake of desktops and laptops in the process. Tablets clung on to a fifth of the market, although many people have replaced this type of device with a larger-screened mobile handset.

74.3 per cent of visits to shopping sites during this period came from smartphones, meaning that the vast majority of browsing is done while on the move rather than in front of a PC monitor or laptop screen.

Part of the reason for the rise of smartphone shopping is that consumers can now get a much better experience when visiting retail sites thanks to the increase in screen size that has been consistent across the sector. There is also a lot more trust in the security of shopping online from mobile devices.

The erratic nature of mobile browsing, which can be interrupted at any time if the user is on the move, means that while site visits and spending are up, just two per cent of people who land on a retail site will be converted to paying customers.

This may be a challenge that is impossible to overcome without the widespread rollout of nearly frictionless mobile checkout solutions.